Tourists to France discover a hotel in the heart of Provence where they treat you like family
June 24, 2008
One charming hotel in Provence offers more than the perfect location and comfortable rooms - they make you feel at home
Oscar Wilde famously said, “When good Americans die, they go to Paris.” But for many Americans, their heaven would look more like Provence, with its sunshine, fields of lavender, lazy summer days, charming villages and wonderful farm-fresh food. Even with the rising euro, Provence is still a hot destination. Americans and others looking for an exotic yet laid-back vacation are hungry to experience for themselves the beauty, history, culture and relaxation Provence is known for, made even more famous by British author Peter Mayle and his popular book series, beginning with “A Year in Provence,” which topped best-seller lists across the US for months and prompted a surge of tourism. But the charm we Americans seek in Provence can be elusive when one is not moving into an old stone house there, like Peter Mayle, but only going for a week’s vacation. A sterile, cookie-cutter hotel can really ruin the mood.
Luckily, for travellers after a more authentic experience in Provence, there are charming hotels in Provence that offer character to spare. They are often rustic homes or manors converted into comfortable hotels. Many have been fitted out with modern conveniences, including lovely swimming pools, while retaining their Provencal personality. If you’re lucky, you’ll find one where the warm atmosphere doesn’t end with the architecture. Provence is famous for the warmth and hospitality of its people, and some of these hotels have been family-run for decades. The best will make you forget you’re only a tourist and make you feel at home the moment you arrive. Until recently, to find such a charming hotel in the South of France would have been hard for someone without local knowledge or through the recommendation of a friend. But now, some of these charming hotels in Provence, treasures of a simpler time, are finally able to be booked over the Internet, where they await discovery by those of us yearning to soak up the character of Provence as well as the sunshine and local wines.
One especially charming hotel near Nimes is the Hotel l’Enclos des Lauriers Roses. It’s located in a picture-postcard hillside location in Cabrieres, a town of only 1200. This three-star hotel in the Gard region near the famous Pont du Gard stone bridge and its town, has been proudly run by the same family since its inception. While this charming hotel in Provence, built of the famous old golden stones of the region, began as a quaint inn with a couple of rooms to let, the same is not the case today. Over 20 years, the family dealt with the popularity of their establishment –frequented by French, Belgians, Germans and British — by building and expanding, and now Hotel l’Enclos des Lauriers Roses boasts four swimming pools (one for children)surrounded by gardens, 20 comfortable hotel rooms overlooking the pools or gardens as well as a few studios and apartments. But the family was careful not to let the hotel lose any of its character as it grew, and everything has been patiently constructed with taste, authenticity and comfort in mind. The hotel also boasts a fine restaurant where, in addition to a la carte fare, a range of prix fixe menus is offered to suit every taste and budget. Whatever you order, you can enjoy it on a shaded poolside patio that lends a vacation mood by day and a romantic one at night. All this in an atmosphere of friendliness and familiarity that will make you believe your hosts are as happy as you are that you are there. If you can’t relax here, you really don’t know how to relax!
With all this to enjoy “at home”, you might be tempted to linger around the hotel, but the Hotel l’Enclos des Lauriers Roses’ location makes it ideal for exploring the sights of Provence. While in a charming tiny Provencal town, the Hotel l’Enclos des Lauriers Roses is only 15 kms (9.3 miles) from Nîmes, where summer music and art festivals bring the ancient arenas back to life, 30 kms (18.6 miles) from Avignon and 40 kms (25 miles) from the Mediterranean beaches. This charming hotel near the Pont du Gard– another sight well worth a look –is also an easy drive to other Provence favorites like the town of Orange with its old Roman amphitheatre and the picturesque clifftop town of Baux de Provence. But no matter how hard you pound the tourist trail, when you return from your adventures to your charming hotel in Provence, it’s like coming home.
The Hotel l’Enclos des Lauriers Roses, owned and run by the Bargeton family, is centrally located in the Gard region of Provence and has been receiving guests warmly since 1992.
Services
- charming hotel near Nimes
- charming hotel in Provence
- three-star hotel in the Gard
- charming hotel near the Pont du Gard
- charming hotel in the South of France
71 rue du 14 juillet
3010 CABRIERES
Tel : + 33 4 66 75 25 42
Fax : +33 4 66 75 25 21
Web : http://www.hotel-lauriersroses.com/anglais/Accueil_anglais.htm
Contact : reception@hotel-lauriersroses.com
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